English Toffee Crisps Food

HOMEMADE TOFFEE RECIPE

Steps:

• Start by coating an 11x17 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Or use your fingers to coat it with a bit of butter. You can use parchment paper if you want but I actually found that it wasn't necessary.
• Add the 1 and 1/2 cups butter to a HEAVY 3 quart saucepan. (You need good quality pots for candy-making.)
• Melt the butter over medium heat until almost melted, then add the water, sugar, and salt. Be sure to add the sugar to the CENTER of the melted butter (see photo). Don't let the sugar touch the edges. If you have even just a few granules of sugar on the edge of the pot, it could crystalize the whole pot of candy, meaning that your mixture will not get hot enough to reach the hard crack stage, which is what you need for toffee.**
• Turn the heat up to medium high and get yourself a long sturdy wooden spoon. You're going to have to stir for the next 10 minutes or so, so gear up. If you skipped the greasing the pan step before, you lose 10 preparation points. Because now you have to stir. Get someone else to prep the pan. (Or do it VERY quickly in between stirs!)
• Stir for about 10 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, attach it to the edge of your pot, but even if you have one, I would still get out a jar of peanut butter and set it next to the stove with the lid off to see what color it is. When the candy reaches the color of peanut butter, it is ready to be poured into the pan. (There is NO peanut butter in this recipe!! Don't add it to the pot! You just want the color!)
• I tested this recipe with and without a candy thermometer, and my toffee looked like peanut butter at about 285-290 degrees F. Hard crack stage is 300 degrees, and you can certainly go that high if you want. See, there is wiggle room, even in candy recipes! I would rely more on the color of the toffee though. The peanut butter trick really does work great.
• Remove the pot from the stove and QUICKLY pour it into the prepared pan, scraping the edges. Use a spatula to spread it out as soon as possible. You don't need to go to the edges of the pan, although you can.
• Immediately sprinkle the top of the toffee with 2 cups of chocolate chips. Use your judgement to see if you want to add another 1/2 cup. I'm kind of a chocolate addict so...
• Wait 4-5 minutes for the chocoalte chips to melt. If you were too slow and your chocolate isn't melting, then stick it in the oven at 350 for 2-3 minutes, or however long it takes to get the chocolate chips just barely melted. Then use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate to the edges of the toffee.
• Sprinkle right away with sliced almonds. You can use your hands to gently press the almonds in; whichever ones are not touching melty chocolate are just going to fall right off.
• Let the pan cool for 1-2 hours. You can speed this up by sticking it in the fridge, but if you do this will MUST wait until the toffee returns to room temperature before breaking it up, otherwise it will be too brittle and just break into sad toffee crumbs.
• Once the chocolate is completely set, break up the pan. You can lift up the edge of the whole sheet of toffee and break it up, or use a butter knife to help you make cuts (although once you get started, it really does work better to break up with your hands. Snap off pieces to your heart's content. It's so satisfying.)
• Store in a ziplock or tupperware on the counter. Try not to eat it all at once.

ENGLISH CHOCOLATE CRISPS

Steps:

• Chop the two chocolates and place 3/4 of them in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl in a microwave on high heat for 30 seconds, remove the bowl, and stir the chocolates vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue heating and stirring the chocolates in 30-second intervals, switching to 15-second intervals as the chocolates start to melt, continuing to stir vigorously with a wooden spoon in between each heating. Heat only until the chocolates are just melted. Add the remaining quarter of the chocolates and stir vigorously until melted and smooth. (If the chocolate isn't completely melted, microwave it for another 5 or 10 seconds.)
• Place the cornflakes in a medium bowl, pour the chocolate mixture over the cornflakes, and immediately fold them together with a rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the cornflakes. You'll want to work quickly so the chocolate doesn't harden. Fold in the cranberries.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Working with 2 soup spoons, spoon 8 mounds of chocolate crisps onto the paper. Set aside at room temperature to cool completely until hardened. Peel the crisps off the paper and serve.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy based sauce pan over a gentle heat.
• Once melted add all other ingredients and stir while dissolving all together and bring to a boil.
• Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep stirring until the molten lava like mixture turns a darker golden brown. Test your toffee by dropping some in a glass of iced water - You'll know it's ready if it sets when it hits the water. Once you're happy with the toffee, pour out the mixture in to a greased baking tray and leave to cool

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Spread half the ground nuts in a thin, even layer over 3/4 of an ungreased half-sheet baking pan. Spread half the chocolate over the nuts.
• Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, chopped walnuts and water in a heavy saucepan; place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until a candy thermometer reads 280 degrees. Remove from heat, allow to stand a few minutes longer until thermometer reads 285 degrees. Pour the hot mixture over the nut and chocolate layers, use an offset spatula to evenly spread the toffee over the chocolate. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.
• Sprinkle remaining chocolate evenly over the cooling syrup, and carefully spread the chocolate over the surface of the toffee. Then sprinkle on the remaining ground nuts. Let stand in a cool place (preferably not the kitchen) for at least five hours. Break or cut into bite-size pieces. If the chocolate has not hardened thoroughly, place the candies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. Store in a covered container or in glass jars or decorated tins.

ENGLISH TOFFEE CRISPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°. Use non-stick cookie sheets or spray sheets with light
• coating of cooking spray. With and electric mixer, beat together sugars,
• butter, vanilla, and eggs until light and fluffy. Add baking powder,
• soda, salt, and flour and mix well. Add toffee bits and mix until just
• combined. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls spacing 2 inches apart on
• cookie sheets. Bake at 375° until golden brown. Immediately remove from
• cookie sheets and place on wire racks to cool.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• Grease a 15x10x1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt; cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 295° (hard-crack stage). Quickly pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until cool, about 1 hour. , In a microwave, heat chocolate chips for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread over toffee. Sprinkle with pecans. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

Steps:

• In heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, water, and salt.
• Cook to hard-crack stage (300°F) stirring with a WOODEN SPOON constantly and watching carefully. Do not try a plastic spoon, it will melt into your delicious candy!
• Immediately pour into ungreased 13"x9" pan.
• Cool until hard.
• Melt chocolate over hot, but not boiling water.
• Spread over toffee; sprinkle with nuts, pressing them into chocolate.
• Let stand 2-3 hours or chill 30 minutes.
• Break into bite-size pieces.

INDIVIDUAL TOFFEE, PECAN, AND PEACH CRISPS

Steps:

• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place six 1 1/4-cup ramekins or custard cups on large baking sheet. Mix peaches, sugar, and lime juice in large bowl to blend. Divide filling among ramekins.
• For topping:
• Whisk flour, brown sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using fingertips, rub in butter until mixture holds together in clumps. Stir in toffee and pecans; sprinkle over filling.
• Bake crisps until filling bubbles and topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.